Both men and women are feeling even more burned out in 2021 than they were in 2020. The annual  'Women in the Workplace' report from McKinsey & Co. and LeanIn.Org found that the gap between women and men who say they are burned out has nearly doubled in the last year. Women in particular have taken on more responsibilities at home from supervising remote learning for their children to basic household chores. Women have also been forced out of their jobs at a disproportionate rate. As the U.S. Census Data reports there are nearly 1.5 million fewer mothers with children 18 or younger in the workforce in March 2021 compared to February 2020.  The oppressive systems we live and work under have created a burnout epidemic, and this is all the worse for Black women and femmes who have a long legacy of exhaustion at the hands of white supremacist heteropatriarchy. Imagine the impact when, on top of the daily strife of enduring systems of misogynoir, you are also forced to weather an unprecedented and entirely mishandled health pandemic that is statistically more likely to murder you.   Black women persist, despite a system set up to ensure they don’t. Black women don’t need to learn to lean in, they are already doing this simply by showing up every day and overcoming one barrier after another. Black women must persist against the odds just to do their job, be treated fairly, get paid equally, and access leadership opportunities. We need to create a work environment where Black women don’t have to lean in, perform to a higher standard or deal with excessive burnout because the organization already works for them.  On this episode I am joined by career coach, Ashley Morgan, to discuss why Black women’s experience of burnout is different and importantly how all of us can navigate burnout and manage our wellbeing in difficult times.   

When we talk about pressure we usually conjure up negative images  – being pressured into something, feeling the weight of pressure. Even the dictionary definition of “pressure” focuses on coercion and intimidation. And who could forget Queen and David Bowie singing about pressure being the force that burns a building down, splits a family in two, puts people on streets. But is this the whole story? In this episode we are joined by Dane Jensen, CEO of Third Factor and an expert on pressure. He unpacks what pressure is, how it differs from stress and how we can harness pressure to our benefit - individually and in our organisations. Dane has worked with thousands of high performers including top business leaders and executives, world-class athletes, Navy SEALs, politicians, and even busy parents. If you want to understand how pressure is experienced differently for everyone and what you can do to excel during difficult moments or challenges in your life then this extended episode is just for you.  

When men align with other men who hold positions of power, they are better able to access the privilege associated with that power. This includes things like having direct access to high-profile people, job opportunities, high-profile assignments, and rewards at work. Homosocial behaviors provide men with ways to develop relationships with other men in positions of power, to their benefit. There are many ways these behaviors show up in workplaces, but they tend to result in employees tolerating and even accepting bullying, sexual harassment, discrimination, and exclusionary behaviors. Organizational banter is a great example of this and generally includes verbally attacking colleagues under the guise of “joking” to maintain dominance over others. It also involves making sexist jokes or derogatory comments based on people’s identities that diminish a person’s self-esteem and perceived value. When leaders remain silent, they sanction these behaviors, which also validates the people who engage in them. This can create an entire workplace culture that is hostile toward women.    A good example of this is the craft brewing industry. In May of this year, NPR reported that Brienne Allan, a brewery worker, went to Instagram to complain about sexual harassment in her workplace and thousands of other women – and a few men – chimed in with their stories including offhanded, rude comments, sexual violence and sexual harassment, as well as racism from owners and superiors. The Craft Brewing industry is being forced to reckon with the sexism, racism and sexual assault allegations.   On today’s episode we are joined by Founder and Executive Director of Infinite Ingredient, Katie Muggli, who has been in the hospitality industry for over 20 years, with five years specific to the craft beer industry. Kate founded Infinite Ingredient to actively support the mental and physical well-being of individuals working in the craft beverage industry through outreach, education, and access to resources.  She shares her story and reflects on the 'me too' movement and its ripples through the craft beer industry.  

As workplaces are now taking the steps to shift back to versions of ‘business as usual’, it is also a critical time and a golden opportunity for them to focus on the wellbeing and psychological safety of employees across their organisation. We see psychological safety in teams when members engage in learning behaviours, such as asking for help, seeking feedback, admitting errors, being open about lack of knowledge, trying something new or voicing work-related dissenting views, with the belief there will not be reprisal or retribution. On this special episode we wanted to share two fireside chats recorded at our Reimagine 2021 event last Friday. Our first chat is with Minda Harts, author of The Memo interviewed by Sue Eilfield, Vice President, People & Culture and Inclusion & Diversity at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners. Sue interviews Minda on her work advancing racial and ethnic minority women at work and healing from racial trauma at work. Our second chat is with Jon Hicks ,Senior Counsel, Employment Law at Netflix Inc  and Mark McKenna Coles, EMEA Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging Lead from Spotify who will share how to build psychological safety at work.  

When I started out in my career, there were so many articles and news reports, events, training and speakers sharing how to engage and manage millennial workers. And over the years I have seen this same focus extend to Generation Z. Companies want to and need to engage the next generation, many of whom want businesses to change their approach to sustainability, equity and corporate social responsibility for the better. The challenge is there isn't a quick fix to tackling the problem. All too often companies claim to have engaged young people about a product or service, yet these very young people are absent from decision making processes. All to often companies have a preconceived notion of what it means to sell to young people that ends up being condescending and patronising. Hashtags and snapchat alone won’t be enough to engage the next generation. What companies need are leaders who know how to listen, engage and value the age diversity of their entire organisation.  Joining us on todays episode is Melissa Kilby, Executive Director of Girl Up the global leadership development organization transforming a generation of girls to be a force for gender equality and social change. Since 2010, Girl Up has developed 75,000 girl leaders in 120 countries and all 50 U.S. states and has raised more than $27 million for girls’ leadership programs and impact partners at the United Nations. As a next gen leadership expert, Melissa will unpack the common mistakes companies make when trying to engage the next generation of change makers and what each of us can do bridge the age gap at work. 

In the process of selling my first book, I spoke to several editors at major publishing houses. One editor revealed that she was thankful her workplace was “not gendered in any way.” In that moment, I realized how much we all take inequality for granted at work. This made me determined to find a way to explain how systemic this issue is and how most workplaces don’t work for men and women in the same way—even industries that aren’t seemingly male dominated. In fact, the publishing industry is a great example of this. While women make up a large proportion of employees in the industry, men maintain a hold on positions of power. In 2018, the Government Equalities Office (GEO) in the United Kingdom reported that while women make up almost two-thirds of the workforce in publishing, men are paid more on average. Reasons cited for this included the higher number of men in senior roles; the higher proportion of women in lower pay brackets; and the higher number of women with flexible work arrangements. These issues could describe just about any industry because nearly all workplaces are gendered—they were built by men, for men. But it’s not always obvious how this negatively impacts women at work from day to day. Nor how this plays out differently when we consider the intersecting identities women have.  Joining us on today's episode is Rebekah Borucki, Founder and President, Row House Publishing, Inc. Row House Publishing is on an incredible mission to support diverse communities within the book publishing industry. On this episode Rebekah will unpack inequality within the publishing industry and what we can do to tackle it. 

Last week the supreme court in the United States decided by five to four to allow Texas to effectively ban abortions in the state despite the blatant disregard of the court’s own 1973 ruling legalizing abortion in US, Roe v Wade. United Nations human rights experts have called the new Texas abortion law “structural sex and gender-based discrimination at its worst”.  Women of color, those with low incomes and from other vulnerable groups would be hardest hit from this ban. Given the significance of this legal change in the United States we wanted to dedicate todays episode to understanding the issue in more detail and how we can support women globally with this issue.  In today's episode I am hosting a conversation with our very own Kelly Thomson, a partner in the employment, engagement and equality practice at the international law firm RPC, based in London and Anna Cronin-Scott an international lawyer who has been practicing law since 2010. Anna also served as special assistant to former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright from 2005-2008, accompanying the Secretary on delegations to Nigeria, Europe and domestically.

From a young age, we are taught what the appropriate behavior is for boys and girls. Through repeated exposure over the years we come to know how men and women are meant to behave. These beliefs are then used to make judgments about women at work. When women succeed in traditionally male-dominated roles, they defy the expectations society has for women and they are punished for it. One study found that when women lead teams with only male employees or teams with a mix of male and female employees, their status as a woman leader activates gender stereotyping, which negatively impacts how they are perceived as leaders. On today’s episode we are going to unpack how inequality at work also creates backlash when it comes to authority. Joining us on the show is Mary Ann Sieghart who will talk about her new book The Authority Gap and how to address and counteract systemic sexism in ways that benefit us all.

When it comes to innovation, current approaches tend to adopt a male lens, by only considering the needs of men, or only engaging men in the design process. Consequently, many products we have today were never designed with women in mind. While there is increased attention on the gender gap in innovation, it isn't enough.  What we need is a GENDER-RESPONSIVE APPROACH to innovation, which means going beyond acknowledging and raising awareness of gender gaps, to make sure women’s and men’s concerns and experiences are equally integrated in the design of innovative products or services and that due consideration is given to how gender norms, roles and relations and limit the innovation process and associated benefits. Joining us on today’s episode is Danielle Kayembe, a female futurist and serial entrepreneur with a focus on projects at the intersection of women, innovation, and impact. Danielle will unpack how to close the gender gap in innovation, and ensure that future innovations don't leave anyone behind.

Between 2015 and 2020 there was a 107% increase in the number of people employed with the head of diversity job title, according to LinkedIn data. This global hiring trend is set to continue, as more businesses appreciate the fundamental importance, including to the bottom line of having more diverse representation and inclusive cultures.  The top three fastest growing roles in this space, according to a LinkedIn report, are Director of Diversity, Diversity Officer, and Head of Diversity. 77% of all new D&I roles are either senior or director positions with 22.8% of these roles in leadership positions. And only one in five are entry level.  If the makeup of leadership teams begins to look different, doesn’t that mean the organization values difference? It’s incredibly common to see business leaders make external corporate commitments like this, which are often not hard quotas but rather “aspirational targets.” The aim is to achieve a trickle-down effect by hiring other female leaders; the hope is they will work to increase the representation of women, thereby magically transforming the culture. What could possibly go wrong?  On todays episode we are joined by Dr Ted Sun, author, speaker and expert in leadership, with two doctorate degrees, one in psychology and another in business. Dr Ted will unpack why diversity quotas are not the answer.